The AFL has suspended TV networks' use of an area marked as a wheelchair space for the remainder of this footy round, after a father and son had trouble finding appropriate seating at last night's game.
Darren Cunningham and his son James, who both use wheelchairs, bought level four general admission tickets for Thursday night's Richmond-Carlton match.
Mr Cunningham said he and his son were planning to sit in a designated wheelchair zone just behind the Olympic Stand seats they had paid for.
He said they had done this multiple times in the past, preferring this arrangement over wheelchair access seating on lower levels.
When they arrived, he said they found the area fully occupied by Fox Footy and 7Sport TV networks doing their outdoor broadcasts of the match.
The blue-painted wheelchair zone on which the TV networks had set up was not offered as a ticketed area for that match.
Disappointed, the pair moved to a wheelchair area on level one but felt they could hardly see the ground.
"You often have people sitting in front of you, standing up at important moments during the game, fully blocking your view," Darren Cunningham said.
"I had a particularly tall gentleman in front of me last night.
"It's just awful and a vastly different experience."
The regular footy attendees then took to Twitter to voice their frustration.
The AFL and Melbourne Cricket Ground became aware of the tweets and sent staff to chat with the pair and offer them better seating.
"In the second quarter, two staff who were really lovely from the MCG came down to us and had a chat and were very apologetic for how we were feeling," Mr Cunningham said.
"They took us up to other seating. There were several spaces available up there."
The men were given spots close to the area on level four in which they had originally hoped to sit.
Despite being happy with their new spots, the men said their experience raised the principle of keeping wheelchair zones available — just like parking spots for the disabled.
"The issue here is that the MCG and the TV networks are taking spaces that should be and were at some point for people in wheelchairs to use," Mr Cunningham said.
"There's something really wrong about giving away very limited disability seating to TV networks who have got so many other areas in the ground that they could and should be using.
"I'm hoping that Fox Footy, Channel 7 and the MCG reinstate permanently those wheelchair seating bays for disabled people."
AFL says the area won't be used for the rest of round 1
Broadcasters have set up their live TV panels in the same position on level four many times in the past in the wheelchair access area in question.
The MCG uses that zone and other seating areas as it sees fit, especially for significant matches.
AFL corporate affairs head Jay Allen said even during matches that drew large crowds like that on Thursday evening, "a significant amount of accessibility seats are available at the venue".
He said during marquee games over the past few years, broadcast partners used the area in question for the telecast.
"When it is unavailable you cannot purchase tickets to access it, however this is done on the basis that there are similar accessible seats elsewhere in the venue," Mr Allen said.
As soon as staff became aware of the pair's concerns, they "immediately acted", he said.
"Today, the AFL, MCC and broadcast partners have come together to find an immediate solution, being both broadcasters not utilising this area for the rest of the round, and it will be available for patrons who may require it."
"We will work on a solution for round 2 and beyond."
